Before Piracy
by bladegryphon
Summary: (sequel to revenge) The story of Gilder and Clara's past, and how it causes them to act in the present... (COMPLETED with chapter 16; forever on my hands)
1. Ruins left untouched

It was a clear day in Arcadia. Mid sky was free of clouds that would block a sailor's vision, and the sun shone, causing the many waterfalls to glisten with sunlight playing over the dancing liquid. Gilder stood in a corner of his room, viewing this from one of the windows.  
  
--3... 2... 1...--  
  
Terrance burst into Gilder's room on the Claudia, gasping for air and annoying the blue rogue to no end.  
  
--Honestly... You'd think that he'd have at least learned to knock by now...--  
  
Once Terrance had regained his breath, he spoke, "Sir, we've spotted a suspicious-looking ship off the port side... and it's pink."  
  
--Eh, shit.--  
  
"Oh no... Yup, it's Clara, alright... Everyone, you know what to do."  
  
The voices of Gilder's crew rang around the ship as the three of them responded. "Begin operation Clara, time number we've-lost-count..."  
  
Gilder chuckled at his crew's comment, then exited his room and walked to the lifeboat bay. He readied one of the two small boats with the speed and ease of long practice, then jumped in, opening the bay door. Whistling for his parrot Willy, he steered the lifeboat away from his ship, and once he judged the distance to be far enough, turned the small ship around to watch.  
  
It was actually quite funny. The Primrose would pull up beside the Claudia, and Belle, Nara and Lilly would thoroughly search the ship for him. Then they would go back to the deck of the Claudia where Clara was waiting, told her that he was missing, and she would throw a fit, wailing enough to raise Ramirez. Thankfully, she never did.  
  
--If they'd actually check the lifeboat bay, they'd figure out WHY I'm never on the Claudia when they come. Hell, I could probably get away with just staying there instead of leaving the ship.--  
  
Gilder smiled at that last thought, then looked at Willy as the parrot finally caught up to the lifeboat, squawking loudly. Gilder grabbed the parrot and held his beak shut in annoyance. "Damn parrot, you're worse than Marco." Willy's feathers drooped, and Gilder let go of the parrot's beak, his smile even broader than before. "Now what were you squawking about?"  
  
"Party at palace, party at palace, squawk!"  
  
"Oh yeah, that."  
  
--The second anniversary of Ramirez's death, Zealos' defeat and Soltis sinking back into deep sky, to be held at Enrique's palace. How very fun.--  
  
"Willy, go back and tell my crew to meet me at the party. AFTER Clara leaves. Got it?"  
  
The parrot nodded, and started to fly in a wide circle around the two ships. Gilder sighed inwardly, not wanting to have to go to the party, but he turned his ship towards Valua anyway.  
  
*At the party*  
Gilder walked into the banquet hall of Enrique's palace, gazing at the unfinished stone forming the walls.  
  
--It's incredible that Enrique and Moegi were able to rebuild Valua from scratch twice in two years. Even if there are a few more things that need to be done, such as smoothing the stones forming the structures.--  
  
The blue rogue wandered among the people at the party, looking for the Empress, as the Emperor was completely surrounded by people from various places who wanted to talk to him. Eventually, he saw her, sitting almost unnoticed in a corner, observing the guests.  
  
The Captain of the Claudia made his way over to her, and they started to chat about harmless things such as weather, health, and how the rebuilding was going. Eventually, Gilder couldn't hold back his question any longer.  
  
"Moegi, there's something that I need to know."  
  
"Yes? What is it?"  
  
"Were there any parts of Valua that weren't completely destroyed by the rains of destruction and the Phoenix's cannonfire?"  
  
The empress thought for a moment before responding. "Almost all of Valua was destroyed by each, especially when combined. However... there was one part of lower city that remained untouched by either. We left the buildings up as a reminder of what happens when a leader is corrupt, and put a fence around them."  
  
"Really? Where is the area?"  
  
"You can see it from the south-western balcony of this room. After you've seen it from there, you'll definitely be able to find it while walking through the streets. Why do you ask?  
  
"Oh, no reason... I was just curious." They talked for a few more minutes, then Gilder excused himself, slowly making his way over to the south-western balcony. He could see most of the eastern half of Valua from there, but that wasn't what made his jaw drop.  
  
--H-holy shit. It wasn't destroyed? How... Why?!--  
  
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Wow. I didn't think that I'd get the first chapter of this up so fast! And yes, I know, a cliffhanger. My friends don't call me the king of evil for nothing! 


	2. Gazing at the foreign sky

This is a review from my other story, but I don't care! Lady Lanet thinks that I could be the next desert Lynx, and that really means a lot to me!  
Speaking of Desert Lynx, I'll answer your review. The main part of the story is set after Revenge, but there will be several flashbacks, as demonstrated by this chapter.  
  
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Gilder slowly backed into the banquet hall, unable to take his eyes off the scene before him. Unfortunately for him, he bumped into Brabham.  
  
"Gilder! It's been a long time. You seem... distant. What's wrong?"  
  
"Hmm? Oh, nothing. I was just thinking."  
  
"Nothing wrong with that! I have a few ideas that I'd like to share with you..." They talked for almost an hour about possible improvements for airships. Once the energetic old engineer left, Gilder exited the banquet hall, headed for the untouched buildings.  
  
*twenty minutes later*  
--Moegi was right. This place was pretty easy to find.--  
  
Gilder wandered among the rusted steel buildings, surprised at the size of the unaffected area. It was roughly a square acre, though it had looked much smaller when he had viewed it from the balcony.  
  
--Ah. Here it is...--  
  
The blue rogue pushed the door of the small house open, and looked around at the all-too-familiar surroundings.  
  
--It's remained untouched... Why didn't some of the other people, the homeless ones, move in? I mean, that old book... is still where I left it, all those years ago...--  
  
Sighing miserably, he walked over to the couch, which was steel, covered with a thin, tattered blanket. He lay down on it, not wanting to remember, but the thoughts came anyway.  
  
/flashback/  
I'd turned four only a week ago. My parents could barely support my sister and me, but they managed somehow. We were as happy a family living in lower Valua could be.  
  
My father was leaving Valua permanently that day with some friends of his, promising to come back later for us. Mom, my sister and I weren't at the dock because we would have given them away, but we watched from one of the windows of our house, as we had a pretty good view of the dock.  
  
We watched as dad got onto the small ship. It was old and small, but sturdy enough to allow them to leave. Also, it had been painted like a merchant ship to try and fool the Valuans.  
  
I was happy, but worried at the same time. Last night, I'd heard my parents talking, my mom desperately asking my dad not to go, telling him that he'd get killed. He was stubborn, refusing to stay in this dump any longer than he had to.  
  
The grand fortress door was just starting to open, and already I could see many ships gathering near the tunnel to take them out of this city. My father's ship rose slowly to join them, and I was sure that he would make it.  
  
But my mother was right. Just as the ship entered the tunnel, two gunboats showed up and started firing their cannons. The rickety old ship didn't stand a chance. Within seconds, the ship was a roaring inferno, slowly sinking towards deep sky, and the gunboats were going back to their patrols. The three of us could do nothing but stare in horror, desperately not wanting to believe what had just happened.  
/end flashback/  
  
The blue rogue slowly opened his eyes and looked around the room more closely. Everything was as he remembered it; a rusted metal table in the middle of the room with four broken stools around it, the couch he was lying down on along one wall next to the stairs, with the old kitchen across from him, and a single drafty window with the broken lower-left pane.  
  
--That memory that I just relived... It reminds me of another, worse one...--  
  
/flashback/  
Five years had passed since my father's death, but it still affected all of us greatly. I saw little of my mother, as she worked extra-long hours now to support us. That meant that my sister Claudia was the one to raise me. She was thirteen years old and looked similar to me, except she was taller, her hair was darker and she had piercing green eyes. They were similar to Ramirez's, only much kinder.  
  
The two of us had finished eating dinner, and we were sitting at the table. My sister was staring into space. She must have been thinking about something. I was reading. Books nearly impossible to find in lower city, but there were a few old ones scattered here and there. Normally nobody knew how to read or write, but a kind merchant had taught the two of us how to.  
  
We were waiting for mom to get home. The grand fortress gate was opening late today, and the three of us were going to take advantage of that and escape this dump. We had a boat similar to my father's, only it was sturdier and more convincing.  
  
A knock on the door. My mother was here, it was time to go. I dropped my book on the table and followed my sister out the door, and the three of us went to the harbor. Reaching our boat, we climbed in, all of us knowing that if we died trying to escape, it would be better than continuing to live here.  
  
Our ship floated out of the lower city docks, and my mother steered it towards the grand fortress gate. It was open, and we made it through easily without any of the valuan ships harassing us. We were overjoyed, and my mother turned the wheel towards sailor's island, with Claudia navigating and me on the deck, making sure that there was no sign of the valuan armada.  
  
Our joy was short-lived. A cannonball came out of nowhere, igniting the bridge and killing my mother and sister instantly. I stayed where I was, overcome with grief, not caring if I fell with the ship or if the fire consumed me.  
  
Another ship pulled up beside the burning one, and two people came aboard, grabbing me. I struggled, not wanting to be taken. All I wanted was to die.  
  
The last thing that I remembered was the brief pain of the pommel of a knife striking my forehead, knocking me unconscious.  
/end flashback/  
  
The blue rogue couldn't take it any longer. He got up and ascended the stairs, throwing open the window on the second-story landing. Leaning out of it, he looked at the yellow moon, allowing silent tears to stream down his face.  
  
--The moons are cruel... forcing me to remember a past that I only wanted to forget...-- 


	3. You are lost

Clara docked the Primrose at one of the Valuan harbors, and watched with amusement as Belle, Nara and Lilly jumped off the airship and started running towards the palace, clearly excited about the party being held there. She made sure that the pink ship was secure before starting towards the palace herself, more slowly than her crew.  
  
As she walked, she noticed a small, different-looking area off to the side of the road. When she looked at it more closely, she realized that it was made up of several buildings from lower city. She shuddered inwardly, then continued on to the party.  
  
*seven minutes later*  
Clara was about three hundred feet from the palace when she saw the doors open, and a figure step out into the streets. The moon was shrouded by clouds and only a few street lamps were on, so she couldn't see the person very well. It turned and walked onto a different street from hers, but Clara could see that the figure moved quickly, despite dragging its feet. Almost as if the person was in a hurry, but didn't want to be going there. After watching the intersection for another minute or two, the blue rogue shrugged and walked into the palace.  
  
During the party, Clara found that she was having trouble focusing on anything that people said to her. She tried to ignore it, but found herself unable to. Deciding that she needed some fresh air, she walked to the nearest balcony, the northeast one. It was empty, so she walked out onto it, sitting on one of the benches.  
  
A few minutes later, her headache and dizziness began to recede, and her thoughts turned inwards.  
  
--I didn't see Gilder at the party at all tonight. Ah, well. He probably has his reasons.--  
  
The captain of the Primrose turned her gaze skywards, and saw several of the dark clouds shifting to reveal the yellow moon, turned red along the edges because it was sunset, though that couldn't really be seen from the Valuan continent.  
  
--Sunset... that reminds me of that time, so many years ago...--  
  
/flashback/  
I was eight years old, and I lived in upper Valua. I hated the place, the way that everyone was so greedy and self-centered. Even my mom. I felt like my father and I were the only kind souls in the whole damn city.  
  
My mother was a bitch who went to plays and spent our money everywhere. My father worked as an admiral in the armada, and his fleet patrolled the skies near the city to monitor which ships came and left. Even though he did that, he was a kind-hearted soul, wishing that warfare, poverty and greed didn't exist.  
  
One day, when he came home, he told me that he had found a ship of people trying to escape lower city. One of the other ships in his fleet had fired at the ship, killing everyone on the bridge instantly. His ship had been nearby, so he and his vice captain had boarded the smaller one. A boy had been on the deck, and my father had been forced to knock him unconscious in order to bring him to safety.  
  
I learned that the boy was being taken care of by a doctor, and that he would become one of our servants when he was fully recovered. Being a servant to a noble family was much better than living in lower city.  
  
I was permitted into the doctor's office two days later. The boy had brown hair and eyes, and was rather handsome, even though he couldn't have been more than a year older than me. Walking over to the bed, I asked him, "What's your name?"  
  
His response wasn't what I had expected. He looked at me in surprise, then his expression changed to one of disgust and he said, "Why would a noble bitch like you care?"  
  
I snapped at him angrily. "Not everyone in upper Valua is cruel! If we were, then my father wouldn't have saved you from that burning ship!"  
  
Now he looked confused. "Burning ship?"  
  
"You don't remember?" I was astonished. How could he have forgotten that?  
  
"...My name's Gilder."  
  
"I'm Clara. I hope that we can be friends."  
/end flashback/  
  
"Clara?" The blue rogue turned to see Urala standing in the doorway. "Why are you out here instead of at the party?"  
  
"I needed some fresh air." Pausing for a moment, she continued, "Have you seen Gilder tonight? I can't find him anywhere!"  
  
The shy cook looked amused. "He was here earlier, but he left a while ago. Perhaps he knew that you were coming."  
  
Clara laughed, and Urala went back inside. Clara turned her gaze to the moon one more time, then headed back inside. 


	4. The hurt, the blame

Gilder watched as the red tinge faded from the yellow moon, signaling that night had begun. He sighed, and leaned out of the window a little farther, the moon's color reminding him of another part of his past.  
  
/flashback/  
I'd eaten and gone to bed, just as Clara had told me to. My mind was strangely blank; I couldn't remember who I was or the details of why I was here. I only knew my name, and how I had gotten to this estate, and that was only because Clara had filled me in.  
  
I woke up in the middle of the night, drenched in sweat with full memories of what had happened. My mother and Claudia, being swallowed by the flames caused by the cannonball... Myself, being grabbed and knocked unconscious as I struggled to come to terms with the occurrence.  
  
Try as I might, I couldn't get the images out of my head, and one thought kept circling; it's all your fault, you couldn't save them, you're to blame...  
  
I screamed, trying to drown the thoughts with the volume of my voice. My head throbbed as I stumbled out of bed. My feet carried me down the hall, unable to take it anymore, looking for a way to end the pain. I had no choice. It was a quick, painless death or a brutal one, torn apart by my emotions.  
  
I tripped and fell down a set of stairs. They were carpeted, so nobody heard me. I wanted it that way. If someone discovered me, then I would be stopped.  
  
Getting up from where I had fallen, I looked around. I was in the kitchen. Thanking the moons for bringing me here, I started looking in the various drawers and cupboards, hoping to find what I was searching for. It didn't take me long.  
  
I took out a long knife and pointed it straight at my chest.  
  
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I know, I'm cruel. Really short chapter plus major cliffhanger. I'm sorry if the updates have been a little slower (or shorter, for this one) than usual. It's really close to that start of school, (and my birthday) so I'm having a bit of trouble concentrating on writing. Don't worry, I'll be back to longer chapters and quicker updates soon! 


	5. These tears we cry

In response to KayteeLern's review, Clara and Gilder did live in Valua for part of their lives in my opinion. I don't recall learning much of anything about their past lives while playing the game. I'm writing this story to let people see who the characters really are, and that they're more than just a ditz and a womanizer. I hope that this clears everything up for you.  
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Clara looked at the clock placed high on the palace wall.  
  
--Wow, it's really late. I don't want to be tired in the morning, so I think I'll go to bed now.--  
  
The blue rogue looked around and spotted her crew over by the bar, chatting with several good-looking young men. Once she realized who they were, she nearly fell over laughing.  
  
--They're talking with Gilder's crew, and neither party has realized it yet. That's too funny!--  
  
Knowing that her shipmates would go to bed soon after they noticed that she was gone, Clara exited the banquet hall and walked through the many corridors of the palace. She reached the room that Enrique and Moegi had provided for her several minutes later. Walking in, she changed into a nightgown and lay down on the large bed.  
  
--I haven't been this tired for quite a while--  
  
Clara turned out the lights, and fell asleep.  
  
/flashback/  
I woke up hungry in the middle of the night, so I decided to go to the kitchen to get a snack. On the way, I heard a series of muffled thumps, so I increased my pace to see what had happened.  
  
When I entered the kitchen, I nearly screamed. Gilder was standing near the middle, with a ten-inch knife pointed at his chest. His eyes were closed, and it looked like his position was no accident. I sprang forward, ready to do whatever I could to stop him.  
  
I wrestled the knife out of his grasp. Even though he was older than me, living in lower city had caused him to be weaker than I was, despite being a noble. The back of my left hand burned with pain, for as I was grabbing the blade, I had slashed myself creating a long, shallow cut.  
  
Gilder looked at me with a mixture of shock, rage and despair on his face. It hurt to see him like this. Eventually, he dropped his gaze to the floor again, his shoulders starting to shake. Surprised, I walked over and saw a single tear fall halfway down his face before he wiped it away.  
  
Another fell, but he didn't bother to hide this one. Sobs issued from the back of his throat, and he curled up into a ball on the floor, unable to suppress the emotion. I knelt next to him, hesitantly placing a hand on his shoulder. He moved to brush it away, but hesitated, then allowed his hand to drop to the floor.  
  
Between sobs, he began to tell me everything that had happened, from his ship being hit to remembering everything at once, and being pushed over the edge by grief. By the end of the story, my cheeks were also wet with tears.  
/end flashback/  
  
The blue rogue woke up in a cold sweat. Walking over to the balcony, she threw open the doors, taking a deep breath of the cool night air. Sighing, she raised her left hand to the moon, inspecting it carefully.  
  
--The scar can still be seen, a reminder of that horrible night...--  
  
Tracing the white line of the scar with her right forefinger, she went back inside to try to sleep again. This time, she was unhindered by nightmares from her past. 


	6. In the dark, I hear your call

Today's my birthday, and I'm in such a good mood, I'm going to give you a real treat! The longest chapter yet!  
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When Gilder's memories finally released him, it was well after midnight. Looking at the palace, he could tell that the party was still going strong, but he didn't feel like returning. Slipping out into the quiet streets, the blue rogue kept to the shadows as he went back to the palace, not wanting to be seen or recognized.  
  
He easily evaded the gazes of the guards as he entered, seeking the room that he was staying in that night. Walking down the corridors and ascending two sets of stairs, he reached the suite. Entering quietly, he changed into a crimson robe draped over a nearby chair. He got into bed, pulled the sheets over his tired form, then turned off the lights and fell asleep.  
  
/flashback/  
Almost a year had passed since Clara and I had met. She was now nine, and I was ten. I hadn't tried any more suicide attempts, knowing that she would have managed to stop me. I'd sort of befriended her; we wouldn't talk much, but I'd put up with her chattiness, and she would respect the fact that I talked very little. She was my favorite person in the house, and her father was second during the rare times that he was home.  
  
She'd go to lessons, and would teach me when we knew that her mother wouldn't catch her. I have several scars from a leather whip from the time that we were caught. I was her only friend, because aside from her father and I, nobody else in upper Valua shared her opinions.  
  
Earlier that day, some noble had come to try to arrange a marriage between his son and Clara. Marriages were arranged young, without the consent of the children. The "potential groom" was a real shit-head; he was stupid, arrogant and was convinced that those that didn't have purely noble blood were not worth his time.  
  
Clara's mother was all for the marriage; the family was the only one wealthier than her in Valua, not counting the royal family. Her father flat- out refused, saying that when Clara married, it would be for love, not money. Clara's mother and the visiting nobles looked murderous, because to them, love and happiness had nothing to do with marriage. If you had enough wealth, then you could buy happiness. They didn't give a damn about love.  
  
The visiting nobles and Clara's mother tried to convince her father otherwise, but he wouldn't budge. Clara looked relieved. I was listening outside the door, and I barely managed to conceal myself in time as it swung open. The visitors stomped out in a rage, and I was the only one who heard their words.  
  
"Dad, if I can't have her, then nobody else can, right?"  
  
"Of course, son. I'll have it arranged immediately."  
  
I wanted to tell Clara as soon as possible, but either her mother or one of the other servants was always present. The other servants were all loyal to her mother. Telling Clara around any of them would mean a severe punishment for me, as I wasn't well liked by the mistress of the house. I would have told her father, but he had to leave on another mission, being an admiral in the armada. Even though my friendship with Clara wasn't very strong, I was still worried. She was my only friend that I could rely on to be there all the time, and I didn't want to know what would happen to me if she left for any reason. After all, it was only her favor that allowed me to stay here.  
  
Two nights later, I was washing the kitchen floor, I still hadn't had a chance to talk to Clara alone, and I was the only servant awake at that point. Clara's father was supposed to come home that night, so I had purposefully dawdled while doing my chores in hopes of meeting him as soon as possible. I heard the door open and shut, and thinking that it was him, I dropped the cleaning rag and ran quietly to the entrance hall.  
  
When I got there, I saw a tall, thin figure that I didn't recognize walking up the stairs. Curiosity and a sense of something being wrong urged me to follow him, so I did.  
  
I'd always been good at sneaking around, so the person didn't notice me. On the way there, I noticed that there was a nearby gun case, and that the man was picking the lock. The glass door swung open, and he grabbed a small sniper, perfect for assassination. After a moment's consideration, I grabbed one as well. The gun that I chose was more generic, but very well-balanced.  
  
I caught up to the figure again, and as he walked into the moonlight caused by undraped windows, I could tell that this man wasn't Clara's father, and that he was a skilled assassin by the smooth, silent way that he walked. He was headed towards the area where Clara's family slept.  
  
I heard the front door open and shut again. The assassin whirled, and I ducked behind a nearby column, praying that he hadn't seen me. I didn't have time to think about who had entered the manor now, as I heard the assassin start moving again.  
  
Continuing to follow him, I paused again as he reached the door to Clara's room. I flattened myself behind a statue of Clara's mother as he looked around, then picked the lock and pushed the door open.  
  
I moved until I was standing in the shadows just outside the door. The assassin was speaking softly to Clara, and had one hand over her mouth, the other pressing the sniper to her forehead.  
  
Then it hit me; this guy had been sent by those nobles that had visited two days ago. Rage built up inside me. I leveled my gun at the back of the assassin's head, and fired.  
  
He slumped on top of Clara, blood oozing out of the deadly wound. Clara climbed out from under him, with no trace of fear or remorse in her eyes. She simply walked up to me and said, "Thanks"  
  
Footsteps sounded behind us, and we both froze. Clara's father entered the room, and said nothing, just looking around. When he spoke, he asked us what had happened, and why. Clara told her half of the story, and I told mine, including what the other nobles had said while leaving. Her father nodded, and told us to meet him in his library the next day after breakfast.  
/end flashback/  
  
Gilder slowly opened, his eyes, cursing his subconscious for giving his a dream about his past. Sitting up, he looked out the window, and saw by the pink edge of the moon that it was about half an hour before sunrise. Sighing, he stood up.  
  
--I have to get out of Valua. There are just too many painful memories.--  
  
He went to take a shower and get dressed, intending to wake up his crew and leave the city after that. 


	7. Red river of pain

Clara yawned, then sat up in bed and stretched her tired muscles, tense from the previous night's dream. Slowly getting up, she took a shower and got dressed. After making sure that her things were all packed, she exited the room and headed for the banquet hall, fixing her hair as she went.  
  
At breakfast, she sat next to Urala, and the two of them began to chat. During the conversation, Kirala joined them, and upon noticing who had just entered the room, she began to tease her sister. "Hey, isn't that your boyfriend?"  
  
Urala blushed furiously. "No, Hans and I are just friends."  
  
With a mischievous grin, Clara said, "I think that she meant 'boyfriend to be', seeing as you obviously have a huge crush on him!"  
  
Urala's blush had become stronger, and Kirala nearly fell off her chair laughing. Clara smiled and left the table, allowing the sisters to bicker without interruption. She walked over to the table where Hans, Brabham and Marco were sitting, and said, "Have any of you seen Gilder this morning?"  
  
Marco spoke up, not bothering to swallow the food that he was chewing. "He left this morning at dawn, headed for Nasrad. His crew didn't look too happy about being woken up so early."  
  
The older of the two engineers sighed, and said, "Some things never change. Marco, please try to remember your manners." Marco ignored him.  
  
Leaning over to whisper into Hans' ear, Clara said, "You should sit with the sisters. I know that one of them has the hots for you." Clara then turned and exited the room, leaving behind a rather embarrassed Hans.  
  
The blue rogue left the palace and walked to the dock where her ship was moored. Her crew was already there. While she helped them load the ship, Belle asked, "Captain Clara, could you tell us another story about Gilder, or where you learned to use guns so well?"  
  
The captain of the Primrose, set down the box that she'd been carrying on the deck and leaned on it, wiping the sweat off her brow as she was reminded of another part of her childhood.  
  
/flashback/  
We were in Dad's office, standing there on surprise. He's just told us that we were going to be trained to use guns, and that he was going to be our teacher whenever he was home. He took us to the practice room in the basement that he always uses, and gave us each a gun, asking us to fire five bullets at the target on the far wall. I got three bull's-eyes, and Gilder got four. Our training began right then, and the only condition was that we had to avoid being discovered by Mom.  
  
My father left three days later on another mission, and Gilder and I were practicing in the basement. That's when my mother came in. She'd heard the gunshots, and while she didn't bother Dad while he was in here, he wasn't home, causing her to come investigate.  
  
She was furious, and ordered six servants to remove us, three each. I was taken to my room and locked in, and my mother said that she wouldn't let me out until I learned that it wasn't a proper lady's place to use weapons. When I tried to protest by saying that father had been teaching us, my mother responded by saying that I was forbidden to go to the basement again without one of her personal servants as a chaperone of sorts.  
  
I don't know how long I cried for, but I was startled out of my tears when another sound echoed throughout the manor. Gilder's scream. I didn't know what was going on, but my tears of sorrow turned to ones of rage. I resolved to pick the lock and find him as soon as my mother fell asleep.  
  
It was well after midnight when I heard my mother's footsteps coming up the stairs, but I wasn't tired at all. I grabbed a hairpin off my dresser, and I began to pick the lock on my door as soon as I heard hers close. I heard a click, and my door swung open quietly. Tiptoeing down the stairs, I ran as quickly as I could without making too much noise to the basement. I threw open the door to the practice room.  
  
He was in there, facing the wall with his wrists chained above his head. Blood was running down his back, and there was a discarded whip nearby. The chains were too high for me to reach. I grabbed a nearby towel and wrapped it around his torso, securing it with the hairpin. Running to the kitchen, I grabbed the phone and called a doctor who would heal servants. His views were like mine, though I'd never actually met him. His name was Doc. I went to the foyer, and prayed that he would come soon enough to save my friend.  
/end flashback/  
  
"Clara, we're ready to go!"  
  
The captain of the Primrose jumped slightly, shaken out of her memories by Belle's yell. Shaking her head to clear out the last few thoughts, she went to the bridge of her ship and set a courses for Nasrad.  
  
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I was looking at my stories, and I realized that I have over 70 reviews!! I never expected to get so many in under two months. Thank you to all reviewers!  
Lady Lanet, thanks for the birthday review. It was really funny! I'd also like to thank Aika1 for taking the time to personally e-mailing me. I never expected that to happen.  
I'd like to ask all of you who are reading this to do something for me. Chapter eight is going to be from Clara's POV, but I haven't decided for chapter nine yet. When you review, tell me whether you want it to be from Gilder of Clara's POV. Thanks! 


	8. Forbidden healing

Meh. Today was my first day of school, and I already have a homework assignment. I would have updated yesterday, but... it was the last day of summer vacation, so you can't blame me unless you have a death wish. And I know that this is one of the three shortest chapters in the story so far, but I didn't feel like writing a very long scene before or after the flashback. I'll try to make it longer next time, I promise!  
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Clara turned the wheel slightly, adjusting her ship's path to easily avoid an upcoming cliff. She wasn't really paying attention to anything, just allowing her mind to wander where it would.  
  
/flashback/  
There wasn't a clock in the foyer, but I couldn't have been waiting for more than five minutes when the door opened and Doc came in. He was in his early twenties, and he worked for the armada, though his views weren't the same as theirs. The fact that he would work on servants and people from lower city was not well known, as doing that was looked down upon by most nobles, especially because he did it for free.  
  
He looked at me with kind eyes and asked me to lead him to Gilder. I led him straight there and the doctor got to work.  
  
After he finished bandaging my friend's wounds, Doc informed me that Gilder had serious muscle damage that would take months to heal, even with the help of healing spells and crystals. He turned for the door, and before I could ask why he was leaving already, he said that he didn't want to get caught, as the penalty was death.  
  
I nodded, and as he slipped out the door, I went back to my room and locked the door behind me, doing my best to make it appear as if I had really been asleep. Good thing, too. My mother came into my room mere minutes after Doc had left telling me that it was sunrise, and time to get up.  
  
I had to hide how tired I was all day, for I hadn't gotten a wink of sleep. My mother gave me the usual lecture that servants were unlearned people who deserved to be punished, not friends. I nodded and responded by saying "yes, mother," though in reality, I wanted to scream that it wasn't true. After she finished talking, her face, which was coated in far too much makeup, broke into a smile. She said that she was glad that she could trust me, and that she didn't have to lock me in that night.  
  
It made my job much easier. Doc had given me several rolls of bandages and a few sacri crystals before he left. I grabbed one of each and walked downstairs at midnight, concealing the items with my robe. I used my hairpin to pick the lock on the basement door, as my mother's earlier statement about it still stood. Naturally, I was more worried about my friend than the punishment.  
  
When I entered the practice room, Gilder was laying facedown on the makeshift bed that Doc and I had made, compromised of several blankets and pillows. Shifting a few of these aside, I unwrapped the bandages on his back, and was forced to fight the urge to throw up. Doc hadn't let me see the lash wounds last night, and now I was glad that he had done so. Still fighting the urge, I wrapped fresh bandages around his torso like the kind doctor had instructed me to, and threw the old ones into a nearby fireplace. After a minute or so, there was no sign of them.  
  
I turned back to my friend and sat on the floor beside him, allowing a single tear to slip down my cheek as I prayed to the moons for him to recover.  
/end flashback/  
  
Continuing to steer her ship, Clara wiped away a streak of wetness from her cheek. 


	9. To live is to know pain

(Insert MASSIVE censor patch here) I would have posted this yesterday, but I was getting CONSTANT 'operation timed out's and 'connection refused's from fanfiction.net. Sorry!  
GAH!!!!! I've forgotten to say this for the past two author's notes, so I'll say it now; CLARA WAS NOT GOING TO MARRY ALFONSO! His personality runs in the family. It was his father (15 at the time) that was trying to marry Clara, okay?  
----------------------  
  
"Captain, we've arrived in Nasrad... Captain? Wake up, Captain!" Seeing that his calls had no effect, Elijah tried another tactic. "Captain, there's a PINK SHIP approaching!"  
  
That woke Gilder up. Tumbling out of the captain's chair, he sat up half-asleep, glasses crooked on his face. Upon seeing his blond crewmember laughing his head off, he stood up and dusted himself off. He shot a glare at Elijah, but it wasn't serious, evidenced by a slight smirk that appeared on his face.  
  
Still laughing, Elijah walked out of the bridge to help Orlando and Terrance buy supplies for the ship. Gilder sighed and shook his head at how easily amused his crew was, then winced slightly and rubbed his back.  
  
--Still hurts, after all these years. I hate that... Then again, I always get this from falling asleep in that chair.--  
  
Grumbling to himself about the pain of his back, the blue rogue walked out of the bridge and went to the deck. Leaning back against the wall of the cabin, he allowed his memories to surface.  
  
/flashback/  
I woke up to a throbbing pain in my back. Confused for a moment, I tried to sit up, but pain washed over me, and I fell back down. Slowly, the memories returned.  
  
The three servants took me to the practice room and removed my shirt, then chained me to the wall, facing it. They left, and Clara's mother came in about three hours later, mocking me by saying that if this was my favorite room, then I wouldn't mind dying in it.  
  
She took a leather whip out of a cabinet made to look like the wall and started whipping me. I could tell that she enjoyed the way that my screams rang through the house. When I slipped into unconsciousness, she 'tsked', and held a bottle containing a pungent odor under my nose, which woke me up. When I was fully conscious, she dropped the leather whip on the floor nearby and went over to the cabinet again, opening it. I twisted my body to see what she was doing out of the corned of my eye, and my mind became numb when I saw what she now held.  
  
A spiked chain whip.  
  
She kept waking me up whenever I blacked out, and didn't stop lashing me until my vocal cords were too raw to scream anymore. She laughed, a cold, sinister sound that would have sent shivers up my spine if I'd had the energy. I couldn't feel my back anymore, my brain completely numbed by the torture. She replaced the chain whip in the cabinet and left, the final thing I saw before I was finally permitted to remain unconscious.  
  
A slight motion to my left brought me back to the present, and I turned to see Clara waking from slumber. It seemed as though she'd been there for a while, but hadn't meant to fall asleep. She blinked, and realizing that I was awake, gave me a huge smile that I couldn't help but return, albeit weakly.  
  
She asked me what had happened, and I told her. Then she told me what Doc had done once she had fought down her rage at her mother.  
  
We sat there in silence for a while, then she said that she should return to her room. I nodded in agreement, and watched her retreating back. Once the door had closed, I rolled over to face away from the door and tried to get back to sleep.  
/end flashback/  
  
Gilder opened his eyes and saw that his crew had already brought about half of the supplies onto the deck already. He walked onto the pier and went to help them.  
  
---------  
Heh heh... forgot to say this at the beginning of the chapter... Chapters 10 and 11 are going to be of the same event, but one from each POV. Whose do you want to see first? Gilder or Clara's?  
Also, now that school has started, don't count on as many weekday updates, though I will give you at least one update a week! 


	10. The flow of time is always cruel, part 1

Standing on the deck of his ship, Gilder took a quick break to look around at the new supplies. Seeing that everything was there, he went back to his quarters, knowing that his crew would put it all away.  
  
Gilder's cabin was decorated like the rest of the ship (crimson, dark brown and gold) with one major difference. There were no pictures of half- naked ladies anywhere. Instead, the walls had various maps and paintings from all over Arcadia. Sighing tiredly, Gilder lay down on the bed, staring at a small crack in the ceiling  
  
--I should get rid of those pictures on the bridge... Hell, the only reasons that I keep them around for are to keep my reputation, and because my crew likes them. Maybe I should show everyone who I really am... No. I just... I couldn't. They wouldn't understand, they wouldn't believe me, and I wouldn't be able to stand that. Especially after that accident, when my love died forever... No, better to live in the present and keep this womanizer facade. It's the only way I'll survive.--  
  
Sighing again, Gilder started to think about what had possibly been the very beginning of the whole mess.  
  
/flashback/  
Two years had passed since the spiked whip incident. It took me seven months to heal fully, even with the help of the healing spells. Still, my back is criss-crossed with white scars. I would still get beaten occasionally, but only with a leather whip.  
  
I was asleep in my quarters when I heard a quiet knock on my door. I got up and opened it, and my mouth dropped in shock. Clara was standing there with her father, who had been stationed near Nasrad for the past two years or so. It turned out that Clara had been sending and receiving letters the whole time, and had asked for her and myself to be taken elsewhere. This was her father's first chance to do so.  
  
I followed them out of the house and to the dock of the Valuan warship, not bothering to grab anything on the way, as I knew that I would be provided with better clothes once aboard. Clara and I were given clothes like those of the rich boys as disguises, and we put them on. We couldn't afford getting discovered.  
  
The engines started, and we moved out of the dock, making it past the Grand Fortress gate with ease. Once out of sight from Sailor's Isle, Clara went to the bridge to watch everything that was going on there. I went to one of the unused bedrooms and lay down on the bed, promptly falling asleep.  
  
I don't know exactly what time it was when it happened.  
  
Sometime during the night, I was woken when the ship shook violently. We were anchored near the southeast corner of Valua. I tried to go to the deck to see what was going on, but roaring flames blocked my path. Giving up on that, I turned and entered one of the lifeboat bays, selecting a ship at random and steering it away from the smoldering metal.  
  
When far enough away, I turned the small boat around. Nasrean ships were firing at the admiral's, which was now slowly sinking into the lower reaches of the sky. I was numb until a hand of ice with a message gripped my heart.  
  
Where were Clara and her father?  
/end flashback/  
  
--Ah, damn... I need something to cheer me up...--  
  
A thought came to him, and he smacked himself in the forehead lightly.  
  
--Why didn't I think of that earlier? Not only will it cheer me up, but she actually understands what I've been through!--  
  
A smile on his face again, Gilder left the ship, headed for a certain house in Nasrad. 


	11. The flow of time is always cruel, part 2

Clara was standing on the deck of the Primrose, the gentle breeze swaying her hair and dress as she leaned against the mast, deep in thought.  
  
--Why? Why does he run from me, seeming to hate me?--  
'"' You know the answer, you just don't want to admit it. '"'  
  
She shook her head, annoyed at her conscience, and walked to the rail, looking down into lower sky. Her gaze was drawn to a small island low in the sky near the southwest corner of Valua. It was normally shrouded by fog, but the breeze had dissipated it.  
  
--The valuan wreckage... Vyse was the one who found it, though Gilder and I knew about it the whole time, almost too well...--  
  
/flashback/  
I boarded my father's ship, and I was quite excited. I was finally going to be able to leave Valua, a place that I hated to call my hometown. Gilder and I were required to change into rich boy's clothes, and we went into separate storage rooms to do so. I was only eleven, so I could still pass as a boy fairly easily if I pulled my hair back into a tail, which I did.  
  
Gilder... It's the first time that I saw him in something other than worn, faded clothes that were a bit too large for him. He was wearing Crimson and maroon with Gold accents, and with his face, it would be impossible to believe that he wasn't actually an upper Valuan. I think that I fell in love with him at that exact moment.  
  
We stayed on deck to watch Valua disappear into the distance, fighting the urge to jump up and down in joy. After that continent was out of sight, Gilder claimed that he was tired, and went below decks to try and get some sleep. I went to the bridge with my father, curious as to how a ship was flown. I'd never been on one before in my life.  
  
After a few hours in which the crew had been kind enough to explain which gadget did what, I went to the lookout tower to see the view. I was incredible, the ability to see for miles around.  
  
But the ability won't always help you see what's coming, especially at night.  
  
A huge explosion occurred on deck, and the violent rocking of the ship threw me off the lookout tower. I tried to grab the railing of the deck as I fell, but I was just too far away. I thought that I was a goner, and accepted my fate, when I felt a sharp pain shooting through my right arm.  
  
I cried out in pain, curling up into a ball. Sounds of footsteps and voices reached my ears, but my mind was too fogged to make any sense of it. I felt gentle arms picking me up, the last thing that I knew before I lost consciousness.  
/end flashback/  
  
Clara looked up when she heard Belle yelling that they were nearing Nasrad, and that the Claudia was docked in the harbor. A small smile appeared on her face, and she went to the bridge of he ship to help dock the Primrose.  
  
----------------------  
I'd like to apologize for the delay in these chapters. I actually finished chapter 10 yesterday, but I wanted to post these chapters at the same time, being to POVs of the same event. 


	12. Where once was light

*re-reads chapter, whistles softly* Super angsty chapter. Go me! And the plot just gets more complicated as I go...  
  
--I swear, at this rate, I'll never get used to the noise. Stupid merchants...--  
  
Gilder fought the urge to cover his ears as he walked through the crowded bazaar of Nasrad, almost overflowing with people. Merchants were everywhere, their wares ranging from clothes to trained monkeys. Shoppers moved from stand to stand, having long ago mastered the movement patterns of the area. Gilder had as well, but that didn't mean that he really liked it.  
  
--I infinitely prefer my base. Nobody suspects it, and no one is ever around.--  
  
He managed to shove his way through to a less crowded area. Pausing for a moment to regain his sense of direction, he ducked down one of the dark, little-used alleys. Even after the city was rebuilt, there were still several areas that could be considered slums, and this was one of them. The buildings were close together, creating dark, narrow streets that were littered with trash, and had a faint hint of smells that one wouldn't want to identify. The whole place had an aura of sorrow.  
  
--I could've gone the other way, but I didn't feel like being found. Luckily, the city was rebuilt with the same layout as before.--  
  
The alleys often twisted and turned with no apparent reason, to the point where one who didn't know their way would be completely lost. The path became steadily worse as the blue rogue went farther, until it abruptly became much cleaner. The streets now resembled those of the entrance of the city, but were still fairly thin. He was now by the back entrances of some buildings in the richer areas of town.  
  
Gilder reached for the handle of one of the doors, but hesitated, and allowed his hand to drop. He leaned against the building, staring at the door with mixed emotions.  
  
--It seems like yesterday and forever at the same time... To think that I was at this same door nearly 22 years ago...--  
  
/flashback/  
My mind was numb as I watched the ship sink into the depths of the sky. Everyone that really mattered to me has perished in sinking flames, courtesy of the warships. My mind didn't register the nearby green ship, despite the activity on the deck. Tears streamed down my face as I tried to wake up, tried to convince myself that it was just a bad dream, that it had never really happened. I realized that I loved her, and now she was dead, never to come back. I'd never hear her voice, see her again.  
  
And I didn't realize it until now.  
  
I just stood there, thinking what a fool I was until a shot from the same Nasrean ship as before narrowly missed my ship, still causing it to rock slightly. Coming back to my senses, I gripped the wheel of the lifeboat, and locking my emotions away, I turned my ship towards the Nasr Kingdom, my only option. They may have killed Clara, but I couldn't stay here, and I couldn't go back to Valua. I refused to return to a life of dumpster diving, or being ruled by an evil bitch from hell.  
  
I don't know how many hours I sailed for. My mind was completely devoid of all feeling. Even the frigidness of the desert night didn't bother me.  
  
I reached Nasrad at daybreak the color of blood. It seemed like even the moons hated me. I got off the small boat at the dock, letting it sink deeper into the skies. What was the point of keeping it if I had no use for it?  
  
I walked into the city, too exhausted to see the beauty of the buildings, the white stone harboring a pink tinge from the color of the new day. Not caring where I was going, I wandered down the alleys, the rapid deterioration of my surroundings going unnoticed. Eventually, I stumbled and fell. I had no energy to get up, no more tears to shed, and no ability to fall asleep. The horrible image was burned into my memory, and I would see it every time my eyes closed.  
  
I was half-aware of the woman's voice over me, the arms that picked me up, and the murmur of voices as I was brought into a warm room. To tired to take it anymore, I lost consciousness.  
/end flashback/  
  
--If only I'd known that she had survived...--  
  
Gilder grasped the handle and pushed open the door, entering the warm room beyond as a murmur of voices filled his ears. 


	13. Don't say goodbye

I thank my reviewers, but I'm not going to respond to any comments for fear of giving away more of the plot than I have to. Read!  
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Clara left her ship, humming quietly as she walked up the white stone ramp and entered Nasrad. Her crew had already gone on ahead, to shop, find Gilder and meet her back at the house that they used as a base of sorts.  
  
--Hopefully, they all stayed in one group rather than splitting up. The last thing that I need is for Belle to spend all the gold that I have. Honestly...--  
  
Shaking her head in amusement at the thought, Clara went to the tavern and ordered a cup of tea. Once she had paid for her drink, she sat down in a corner by a window viewing the entrance of town, watching people come and go as she sipped her drink. However, her eyes weren't really focused, her mind instead on something else.  
  
Her memories.  
  
/flashback/  
I woke up in a bed in a room that was somewhat sparsely furnished. Two smallish dressers, a large box with a small one next to it serving as a table and chair, and the bed that I was in were the only furnishings, each with a light stain to match the walls and floor. Ignoring my enormous headache, I slipped out of the bed and walked over to the small circular window on the other side of the room. Gazing out, I saw that the sky directly overhead was black, signaling that this ship was in Valua, but farther away, my view was blocked by a fast-retreating fog. I turned upon hearing heavy footsteps nearing the door to the small room.  
  
A round man clothed in green that appeared to be in his early fifties walked into the room and looked at me with a critical eye. When I say "a", I mean it literally. His right eye was covered by a black patch, and his arm was made out of a metal that looked like bronze. His graying brown hair was pulled into a tail by a black tie. He huffed, getting my attention again, and spoke in a gruff voice, "Took you long enough to wake up, boy."  
  
I was furious, until I remembered that I was wearing boy's clothes. Blushing slightly, I told him that I was a girl, thank you very much, and what had happened to me. He simply huffed again, and said that he had no reason to thank me, as my landing on his ship had distracted him, and had allowed Rhaknam to get away. Having no clue what he was talking about, I asked him. He glared at me and said nothing, save that I was going to be dropped off at Nasrad, being the nearest city.  
  
I remained quiet for the rest of the trip. The captain of the ship scared me, being so uncaring, and I still didn't even know what his name was.  
  
Arriving at the city, we went out on deck. Without a word, I left the ship and walked up the white ramp to the city gate. I paused, sensing his gaze on me, and turned to see what he wanted. What he said was short and simple.  
  
"I'm called Drachma, and my ship is the Little Jack."  
  
Nodding, I turned and entered the city, hearing Drachma start the engines of the Little Jack and leave the harbor. My thoughts were of one thing: I was positive that Gilder had survived, and I was going to find him, no matter what it took.  
/end flashback/  
  
--That was almost 20 years ago. Even though I barely knew him, it still hurt when I found out that he had died.--  
  
Looking outside again, the captain of the Primrose sighed. Finishing her tea, she left the tavern to look for her crew, hoping that they'd kept themselves under control. 


	14. For all the lies you told us

Listening to Clara's theme does NOT help a person write an angst story -_-'  
  
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Gilder closed the door quietly behind him, inhaling the familiar scent of the room. He was abruptly seized from behind by a pair of strong arms. Laughing, he said, "Yes, Amber. I missed you too."  
  
The arms released him, and Gilder turned to see a gorgeous woman with tan skin and dark hair who was in her late forties. She wore a black silk dress that showed off her cleavage, and her eyes were a deep gold with orange flecks like the resin she was named for. She smiled in return and said, "I didn't expect anything else, hun. Ya know that your reputation's hurting, and you're never one to lose contact with a friend. Now, are ya here for business or pleasure?"  
  
"Business. You know that I only do 'pleasure' here when I can't take it any longer, Amber!"  
  
"Right, right. But my girls are gonna be mighty disappointed. Make it up to them, ya hear?"  
  
Gilder snorted. "You know that I-"  
  
"My ass, hun. You'd get outta it the first chance you got. Let's sit down to talk about this, be cozier."  
  
Gilder followed his friend into the main room of the house, and winked at the girls that were lounged on the various couches and chairs. Sitting down on a red armchair, he asked, "I've always wondered why you decided to open this cathouse instead of a different business, Amber."  
  
She leaned over and smacked him on the head, then relaxed back into the violet chaise she was occupying. "Men gotta have somewhere to let loose when they got no wife waiting for them. Besides, you of all people should know that men think with their crotch, not their brain."  
  
"Ever heard of the phrase 'fake personality'?"  
  
Amber rolled her eyes and got up to deal with the customers that had just entered the room. Unlike the stereotypical cathouse, it worked like a normal inn, the girls were decently dressed, and they wouldn't fawn over you unless you asked for the attention.  
  
Gilder stayed where he was until a familiar voice reached his ears. "Gilder! Why am I not surprised to see you here?"  
  
The captain of the Claudia threw a pillow at Vyse, who ducked, causing it to hit Fina. She glared as Cupil returned the pillow while Aika laughed her head off. Catching the pillow, Gilder asked "What the hell are you three doing at a place like this?"  
  
Regaining control of herself, Aika replied, "We're friends with some of the girls here. They're really nice, and unlike you, we know them outside of the bedroom."  
  
"I resent that!"  
  
Vyse smiled evilly, and said, "Now I can see why you aren't interested in Clara! You like Amber!"  
  
This time the pillow did hit Vyse. "She's a good seventeen years older than me dumbass! We're just friends."  
  
"So you do like Clara!"  
  
"I never said that either. Now shut up, I'm rather touchy when it comes to that subject."  
  
"Or women."  
  
Vyse scampered away before Gilder could throw another pillow, and Aika and Fina followed him, sitting at a table in the corner and talking amongst themselves as a few of the girls joined them. His attention was recaptured by Amber as she sat down across form him again. "I remember when you showed up at that same door nineteen years ago, and how you wound up working in the kitchens to stay here. Hard to believe that it was so long ago..."  
  
"And hard to forget, too. But it was quite fun for the year I stayed here for."  
  
Amber smiled and stood up to make sure that everything was running smoothly, and Gilder closed his eyes, rubbing his temples in an effort to get rid of the headache that had just started.  
  
--My reputation is upheld because people see me here, not because I actually do anything. I only have a little fun with the girls once or twice a month at most. But that's not the problem. I just wish I knew what do about this...-- 


	15. A nightingale's blood

Heh heh... forgot to say this last time... In the end credits of the gamecube version, it says that Drachma died a few months after the battles at soltis. I didn't feel like going into detail about it right then.  
-------------------------------------------------  
  
"I can't believe it! We couldn't find him!"  
  
"I know, it's so annoying. How is he always able to slip through our fingers like that?"  
  
"We'll get him next time, that's for sure!"  
  
Clara laughed as she entered the dining area of the house; her crewmembers were sprawled on the floor in various positions, arguing about their inability to find the captain of the Claudia. She slipped through them as quickly as possible, not wanting to get pulled into the conversation. Entering the kitchen, she went through a door on her right and up the stairs to reach her bedroom.  
  
Once inside, she lay down on the bed, staring at the ceiling.  
  
--I never let anyone come up here because it seems too 'against' my personality. Herd to believe that it actually was for so many years of my life...--  
  
Rather than being decorated with pink, hearts and pictures of Gilder, as was expected, it was white, beige and light yellow with dark brown accents, and a mural of the jungles of Horteka was painted on one of the walls.  
  
--Nobody would believe that this was my room.--  
  
She got up with a slight smile on her face and walked over to the window seat. As she sat in it, her smile turned to silent tears.  
  
--Was it my fault, or his? It destroyed both of our lives, and we're still trying our best to repair them... But it looks like his repairs are breaking. He's been acting... differently... and it worries me.--  
  
As the day ended and the buildings were bathed in a peaceful red glow, her eyelids slid shut, her dreams influence by her past.  
  
/dream sequence/  
I was in a dark, misty forest, the little light filtering through the treetops being absorbed by the mist, curling around my ankles as I walked. There was no sound, not even of my footsteps, though I could feel twigs breaking under my feet.  
  
I reached a clearing full of night-blooming flowers, their gentle fragrance almost putting me into a trance-like state. I didn't care about where I was, why I was here or what was going on. I continued to walk, reaching the center of the clearing. A large tree grew here, a maple, but with white bark. Disregarding the color difference, I climbed, and once at the top, I could see for miles.  
  
The forest was a hexagonal shape, with stone walls dividing it into seven areas; six on the outside, and one in the center, the one which I was in. The moon shone above, casting an eerie silver light about.  
  
A nightingale flew by my face, having been perched unnoticed on the branch above me. As it glided towards one of the outer sections, it began to sing its beautiful, sad song, and the moon began to change color.  
  
Reaching its destination, the bird settled on what had been a white maple like mine, now turned red by the moon's light. From out of nowhere, a golden bolt of lightning streaked through the sky, striking the tree of the bird. No flames came, but sap began to pour down the tree, a deep crimson color, like blood. The nightingale had long ceased to sing, and was now laying dead on its perch, the crimson sap running over its body and carrying it to the ground.  
/end dream sequence/  
  
Clara woke up in a cold sweat, and grabbed a nearby blanket. She wrapped it around herself, shivering.  
  
--That dream... it's too close to what happened... too close...--  
  
Looking out the window, the red moon was high in the sky, as if it was taunting her. Angrily, she shut the curtains and went downstairs to get some food. 


	16. Forever on my hands

Gilder looked deep into the loqua in his glass, as if wondering what could be found in it.  
  
--Temporary relief in exchange for a splitting headache later. Why do I even bother anymore?--  
  
He set it down on a nearby table and was about to go back to his thoughts when he saw Vyse looking at him strangely.  
  
"Normally, you'd never refuse loqua. Are you feeling okay?"  
  
"I'm fine." Gilder flashed one of his usual lopsided grins, and downed the rest of the glass. Fina laughed and Aika punched Vyse on the shoulder, causing the three of them to start a comedic argument. Gilder chuckled and relaxed back into his chair, again thinking about the past.  
  
--Damn... I never wanted it to end up like this, never. But it seemed to be the only way out... If only... If only I'd said no...--  
  
Gilder could feel his eyes sliding shut, and his perception of the outside world faded as he fell into a deep sleep.  
  
/dream sequence/  
I was in a familiar kitchen, observing myself. I stood at the sink, with cups and a dishrag in front of me. Silently, Gilder at the sink sighed and picked up one of the cups. Just as he was about to start washing it, Amber came in, her mouth moving as she spoke, yet I could not hear her.  
  
The dream me listened, and then nodded. A tall, thin man entered, clothed so completely in black that all you could see were his gray eyes, with the color and emotions of steel. He nodded stiffly, and the dream me followed him out of the room.  
  
That scene faded, and all I could see after that were small portions of scenes. I grew older, reaching eighteen in the scenes as I trained in the dark rooms. Those faded as well, and I was rushing towards a forest, following the dream me.  
  
Abruptly, the dream me turned into a yellow bolt, and was instantly lost from my sight as he streaked farther into the night sky. I fell, winding up at the base of a red tree. Blinding light surged overhead, and a deafening crack was heard.  
  
I looked up, and saw crackles of fading electricity on the red branches of the tree, a maple. Something slid off one of the upper branches, and I reached out instinctively to catch it. It landed in my hands, and part of it flowed away, leaving a red stain and a dead nightingale.  
  
I cried out in horror and tried to drop it, but the bird was stuck to my hands by the crimson tree sap. Looking around for any way to remove it, my eyes were drawn to a large tree in another area of the forest. Despite the light of the red moon, it remained white, and almost radiated purity and hope. But the mist was rising, already it was at my waist rather than my ankles. A sweet fragrance hit my nose, and abruptly I wanted to just stop thinking.  
  
I shook off the temptation with great effort and set out for the tree, only to be blocked by a large stone wall. With the bird in my hands, I was unable to climb it, though I knew that I had to get to the white maple.  
  
I set off in another direction, but as I did so, the nightingale turned to sand, and the red grains slid through my fingers and blew away. Nothing was left except the crimson stain, and a single dark feather, somehow untouched by the sap. Or was it blood? There was no way to tell.  
/end dream sequence/  
  
Gilder blinked the sleepiness from his eyes and looked out a nearby window. Seeing that it was just past nightfall, he stretched and went upstairs, tracing the familiar paths until he reached a balcony. Leaning against the railing, he stared at the moon.  
  
--The dream never went that far before... it used to just stop after I realized that the nightingale was stuck to my hands...--  
  
Sighing, the blue rogue rested his head in his hands in an effort to dissapate the oncoming headache.  
  
--What was the white maple there for, and what did the feather and sand mean? I'm so confused...--  
  
Looking down, he found himself thinking that it would just be easier to just jump and end the pain and confusion. Disgusted with himself, he decided to go back inside to get more loqua. It may leave him more depressed that before, but right now, he needed a way to escape, and this was the only one that he wouldn't hate himself for later.  
  
--Curse nightingale. Both the bird and the person.--  
  
For as he left the balcony, a nightingale had been perched on the Nasultan's palace, singing its beautiful, sad song, and reminding him of what he wanted to so desperately forget.  
  
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That's it for Before Piracy, and I know that it is an EXTREMELY evil place to stop. Don't worry, there will be a sequel, I'm already planning it. 


End file.
